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Saudi uses sports 'soft power' as lever of influence
Saudi Arabia is seeking to use glitzy sporting extravaganzas as an instrument of soft power in its push for regional supremacy as well as to project a moderate image of a country long seen as an exporter of jihadist ideology.
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Real Madrid frustrated by Athletic and fall behind Barca
It was Real’s third draw in a row after 1-1 and 0-0 stalemates away to Valencia and Barca respectively, games in which they also played well but lacked composure in front of goal.
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Zidane says Real Madrid only focused on football amid fears of Clasico unrest
The fixture was originally scheduled for 26 October but had to be postponed and there are renewed fears of unrest at Camp Nou, where Madrid and Barca will be playing for first place in La Liga.
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Chelsea, Ajax draw European thriller as Liverpool win and Barca stumble
Jorginho scored two penalties as Chelsea came roaring back from 4-1 down to draw 4-4 with nine-man Ajax in a Champions League classic on Tuesday, while holders Liverpool claimed a narrow victory and a stuttering Barcelona were held.
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Messi says tax problems made him want to leave Barcelona
In an interview with Catalan radio station RAC1, Messi also said he had expected Neymar to sign for Real Madrid last summer after Barca failed to strike an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain.
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I deserve more Ballon d'Or awards than Messi, says Ronaldo
Ronaldo, 34, has won the renowned France Football magazine trophy for the world’s best player five times - as many as Messi - but is eager for more as he moves into the twilight of his career.
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Penalty drama as holders Liverpool, Chelsea lose Champions League openers
Holders Liverpool began their defence of the Champions League trophy with a defeat against Napoli on Tuesday, while one missed spot-kick condemned Chelsea to defeat against Valencia and another came to Barcelona's rescue.
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Real Madrid hang on for win after Benzema brilliance
While the manner of their victory was not as convincing as coach Zinedine Zidane might have wished, it was a welcome return to winning ways for Real after they had drawn their previous two games.
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Transfer window ends with star loans rather than huge deals
Several big-name players did change clubs on loans, including Mauro Icardi moving to Paris Saint-Germain from Inter Milan and Nikola Kalinic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan going out to Roma from Atletico Madrid and Arsenal.
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Who's saying what after the Champions League draw
Holders Liverpool will face Napoli again in the Champions League, Tottenham Hotspur must take on Bayern Munich and Barcelona could just face a struggle to make it out of their group.
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Top KZN coach to help Muzuvukile ahead of Danone Nations Cup in Barcelona
Danone Southern Africa has brought in top South African coach and former SAFA's coaching instructor, Scelo Qwabe to assist Muzuvukile in their preparations.
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Messi 'made me better player', says Ronaldo
Ronaldo and Messi have won the coveted Ballon d'Or five times each, a factor that helps each player flourish.
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Barca's Coutinho joins Bayern Munich on loan
Barcelona's Philippe Coutinho has joined Bayern Munich on a one-year loan with an option to buy, the Spanish club confirmed Monday.
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Coutinho set for Barca stay after Miami win over Napoli
Former Liverpool forward Coutinho has distanced himself from a move to Tottenham - he was also linked with Arsenal - and with the transfer window in England closing Thursday, the chances of the 27-year-old returning to England appear slim.
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Cowboys top Forbes' list of richest clubs, Man Utd slip
In figures released on Tuesday, Forbes pegged the value of the Cowboys at $5 billion.
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Neymar can leave PSG if we get an offer - Leonardo
The Brazilian forward joined PSG from Barcelona on a five-year deal for a world record transfer fee of €222 million (£199 million) in 2017.
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Griezmann defies Atletico Madrid by missing pre-season gathering - club
Griezmann, a Barcelona target, had already said he would not turn up, Madrid sports daily Marca reported on Saturday, with Atletico then telling AFP that "it changes nothing".
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Everton sign Gomes on permanent deal from Barca
Andre Gomes endured a disappointing two years at Barca following a move from Valencia in 2016 for an initial fee of €35 million, making only six La Liga starts in his second campaign.
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Neymar accepts pay-cut in 'verbal agreement' with Barca - reports
PSG are yet to sanction the sale of their star striker, who they paid a world record €222 million to sign from Barca only two years ago.
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Messi 'bitter' as Colombia stun Argentina
One of the best of those fell to the 31-year-old Barcelona icon but he headed wide after Colombia's goalkeeper David Ospina got down quickly to push out a header from center-back Nicolas Otamendi.
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Valverde not to blame for Barca cup defeat - Bartomeu
After throwing away a three-goal lead against Liverpool in the Champions League, Barca's disappointing end to the season took another turn for the worse as they were beaten 2-1 in Seville.
